Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Jose to Seattle. Left side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise north along the Pacific Coast corridor, the left side also keeps you oriented toward the Cascades as they build northward through Oregon and Washington, including glimpses of Mount Shasta, Mount Jefferson, and Mount Hood on clear days.

During takeoff from Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC), sit on the Left side for the best views. SJC typically departs northwest on runway 30L/30R, so the left (south) side gives you a clear view back over San Jose, the southern South Bay, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. You'll see the salt evaporation ponds of the bay glinting in geometric patterns as you climb out. Notable sights include: South San Francisco Bay salt ponds, Santa Cruz Mountains, downtown San Jose grid, Alviso marshlands.

When landing at Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA typically lands on runways 16L/16R heading south, meaning the approach comes from the north over Puget Sound. The left (east) side gives you the best view of Mount Rainier dominating the horizon to the southeast, plus the Seattle skyline and Lake Washington as you descend. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier, Seattle skyline, Lake Washington, Puget Sound.

The flight from Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC) to Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

The flight tracks north over the Sacramento Valley, then crosses into Oregon over the Klamath Mountains. Mount Shasta (14,179 ft) is visible to the left as a prominent isolated volcano near the California-Oregon border. The route then passes over the Oregon Cascades with Mount Jefferson and the Three Sisters visible on the left. Crossing into Washington, the Columbia River Gorge appears below before the flight descends toward Puget Sound with the Olympic Peninsula visible to the west.